News Release
Symphony CEO Authors New YA Novel
04/28/2010
Secrets, surprises, and music are hallmarks of Michael Wenberg's heartwarming stories.
(Walla Walla, WA, April 20, 2010) Press Release – Michael Wenberg’s second YA novel, Stringz, is scheduled for release by Westside Books next month. The story revolves around a gifted teenage musician whose only real friend is a cello he calls “Ruby.” His life is transformed when his mom moves them to Seattle and he learns that going it alone isn’t the best way to be, and discovers that he has friends in the most unexpected places.
Wenberg announced that a portion of his royalties from sales of "Stringz" will be donated to benefit the Walla Walla Symphony Youth Orchestra.
Advance praise for Stringz
Stringz touched me very deeply. Michael Wenberg’s book has a huge heart, and a great sense of humor. And most of all, a deep love of all kinds of music.
—Greg Sandow, composer, ArtsJournal columnist, and orchestra consultant
I really loved this story! Jace is a mixed raced teen who's had it hard in his life. But instead of using the stereotypical mad teen with a huge chip on his shoulder,
Michael Wenberg’s vivid portrait of teen cellist Jace Adams is a revelation. As Jace navigates the terrors of school bullies, the challenge of making friends in a new high school, and overcomes a vividly disturbing home life, everything comes into sharp focus when he plays his trusty cello. An inspiring and emotional story that teens will especially devour.
Jace Adams is a hero for this time, a surfer, cellist, survivor who figures out that ‘It is what it is.’ A fresh sound in YA.
Between “It is what it is” and “It doesn’t have to be this way” there’s a whole lot for Jace Adams to figure out. There are bad guys to avoid and good guys to learn how to trust and a whole lot of baggage to sort through. But then there’s always the music to keep a kid going. What a feel-good read. Bravo, Jace! Bravo, Wenberg!
About "Stringz"
About the author
Wenberg lives with his wife, Sandy, an architectural color consultant, and his teenage son, Lucas, on a mini-farm outside of Walla Walla, Washington, near the foothills of the Blue Mountains. Wenberg has attended Seattle Pacific University and Eastern Washington University and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Gonzaga University. He is currently the CEO of the Walla Walla Symphony, one of the finest small town orchestras in the country. When he’s not writing, spending time with his family, or playing his trombone, you can find him backpacking, mountain biking, or snow skiing, depending on the season. Email Michael at michaelcwenberg@hotmail.com. Visit him on the web at www.michaelwenberg.com or www.michaelwenberg.wordpress.com.
About WestSide Books
—Kim Bacciella, Young Adults Books Central
—Mark Summer, Turtle Island String Quartet
—Robert Lipsyte, author of “The Contender,” and “Center Field,” former New York Times columnist, and host for the PBS series, Life (Part 2).
—Tim Wynne-Jones, author of “Rex Zero,” and “The Great Pretender.”
Life has never been easy for Jace Adams, a mixed-race teen whose mom moves them from one place to another so often that sometimes he's been in four schools in a single year. To cope with all that turmoil, Jace has vowed to never let himself get attached to anyone or anything--other than his beloved cello. But when his mom takes them to Seattle and they move in with his tough, sassy Aunt Bernice, Jace begins to wonder if this time things might really change. Because money is tight, Jace plays his cello on the street in downtown Seattle, and one evening, someone throws a folded $100 bill with a business card attached into Jace’s open cello case while he's playing. That card changes everything; it's from a famous cello instructor who offers to take him on, giving Jace a shot at winning a large cash prize. Will he make the grade?
Michael Wenberg is also the author of "Seattle Blues," a teen novel published by Westside Books in 2009, and the picture book, "Elizabeth’s Song," illustrated by Cornelius Van Wright and published by Beyond Words Publishing in 2003. Elizabeth’s Song was a nominee for the Kentucky Bluegrass Award in 2004 and has been recognized by the African-American Literary Book Club, GRITS KIDZ Book Club, Midwest Book Reviews, the National Education Association, Children’s Literature Network, and elsewhere. A highly regarded speaker in elementary schools, Wenberg uses his trombone playing to introduce children to his stories, reading, writing, and music.
WestSide Books is a publisher dedicated to bringing out realistic, edgy, contemporary YA novels for high school age teens and reflecting the real issues, problems, and situations that teenagers contend with every day. For more information, go to www.westside-books.com.